Monument record 15906 - Excavated well at rear of 10-12 Pillory Street, Nantwich

<1> Aeon Archaeology, 2021, Proposed Conversion and Extension of Former Bank Offices, 10-12 Pillory St, Nantwich, Cheshire East, CW5 5BE: Archaeological Watching Brief, R4717 (Client Report). SCH9484.

The remains of a brick built well were recorded during an archaeological watching brief during groundworks for an extension at the rear of 10-12 Pillory Street, Nantwich. It was constructed from 15 courses of moulded red-brick bonded by lime mortar (bricks measured 20cm x 11cm by 6cm). The lowest three courses of bricks formed the walls of the well proper whereas the upper 12 courses formed a brick-built ‘beehive cap’ which capped the well off. This cap had been broken just to the southeast of centre and a cast iron pipe was emanating out of the cavity - suggesting that the well had been used as a piped water source previously. The well had a maximum diameter of external 1.42m (1.25m internal diameter) and when the cap was removed the well was 2.49 m deep to the water level.

The well appeared to have been constructed within a sub-rounded construction cut [104]. The exterior of the well had also been lined with a firm, light orange-grey, clay (105) which was between 0.10m – 0.12m in width and formed a band around the well. The well (103) had been cut into the suspected post-medieval deposit (102) although the well produced a fragment of refined blue and white transfer printed ware; a fragment of Staffordshire slipware and fragments of oyster shell from within its structure - suggesting a construction date somewhere between 1780 to 1910.